Relay with mechanical hold-in



Oct. 9, 1951 SEIDEN 2,571,068

RELAY WITH MECHANICAL HOLD-IN Filed Dec. 30, 1948 CIRCUIT JYer 72 Z 8 15872 ,By% Jim I Patented Oct. 9, 1951 OFFICE RELAY WITH MECHANICAL HOLD-IN Herman L. Seiden, Chicago, 111., assignor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 30, 1948, Serial No. 68,119

8 Claims.

This invention pertains to electro-magnetic relays and has as its principal object the provision of a device of this class which is contrived for both electrical and mechanical holding or looking.

A further important object is the provision of a relay of the class described which has one set of relay switches adapted to be operated only when the relay is energized or held electrically, and another set of relay switches operated when the relay is energized, and which are also mechanically locked-in or held responsive to each operation of the relay, either momentaril or in sustained energization.

A further object is the provision of a relay structure having certain relay switches and means for locking the same in operated condition responsive to each energization of the relay coil, together with other switch means operated responsive to energization of the relay coil and released responsive to de-energization of said coil.

A further object is the provision of improved electro-mechanical hold-in relay means of the class hereinabove characterized in which there is a common mechanical release and electro-mechanical actuating means therefore suitable for releasing the mechanical hold-in means of one or a plurality of the improved relays.

Still another object is the provision of a relay having an armature provided with switch operating slots of different depth in the direction of movement of the armature and switch means engaged in said slots such that when said armature is attracted all switches will be operated, but when said armature is released the switches in the wider slots may be held in operated condition while those in the narrower slots will become non-operated, together with mechanical means co-acting with the armature to lock the switches in the wider slots in operated condition responsive to the attraction of the armature.

Yet another important object is the provision of a sequence switching means in conjunction with a hold-in relay of the class described.

A still further object is the provision of a relay having a multi-condition or sequence switching means affording economies in costs and equipment space by making one relay do the work heretofore requiring several relays.

Additional objects and aspects of novelty and utilit in the invention pertain to details of the construction and operation of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the annexed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved relay structure with parts shown in section and certain schematic circuits therefore;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the relay in fully operated condition;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the armature released and the mechanical hold-in means operated;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view looking in the direction of lines 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing parts cut away and in elevation.

Referring to Fig. 1, a commercial form of the invention includes a base plate I0 upon which is mounted a relay coil. II having armature I2 pivoted on a frame member as at I3. Mounted on a self portion I4 of the relay frame are a plurality of jack switches, each including an elongated operating contact I5 or I8 and a companion short spring contact I6 or IT.

At the outer end of the armature is an insulated armature member or wafer 20 secured thereto as at I9.

As viewed in Fig. 4, the insulated wafer 20 is provided with a horizontal upper slot 24 and a horizontal lower slot 22 which is wider than slot 24. The upper contact spring I8 has its end portion I8X projecting through the narrower slot 24, while the lower contact spring has its long end I5X projecting through the wider slot 22.

When the relay coil II is energized, or in other words when the relay is operated, the armature I2 and its member 20 assume the position shown in Fig. 2 in which condition the lower switch is positioned with contacts I5 and I6 still biased open; while the upper switch is operated with contacts I! and I8 closed, by reason of the fact that the upper transverse margins of the slot 24 bear downwardly upon the extended end pertions I8X of each upper switch blade.

In this condition, some of the relay switches are closed for the purpose of controlling some desired instrumentality, such as the circuit No. 1.

But it is important to observe that, at this time, switch I5--I6 is not closed, but is in a stand-by condition preparatory to further action of the relay, as will appear hereafter.

The aforesaid stand-b condition results from the fact that the end ISX of the lower spring I8 is biased downwardly against and will slow movement of the lower transverse margins of the wide slot 22 and tends to move down still further from its normally open position of Fig. 1 to its standby open condition of Fig. 2; however, when the 3 armature falls back to unattracted or non-operated condition, the lower transverse margin of the slot 22 carries the lower biased spring back up with it into contact with its companion upper spring [5.

Mechanical holding means for a certain one of the relay switches, for example, the switch involving contacts i and I3, includes a pivoted holding arm 30 having a tail 3] loosely fitted into a slot in the base plate H! (see righthand unit bottom of Fig. 4).

Springs 32 (Fig. l) anchored on a cross-bar 33 secured to the base plate as at 34 (Fig. 4) tend to pull the holding arms 30 in an anti-clockwise direction toward and against the rounded end portions I5X of the mechanical hold-in switches.

Assuming that the relay is operated as by closure of switch 8 (Fig. l) to the condition of Fig. 2, the rounded ends IEX are moved downwardly by the action of the armature l2, so that springs. 32 pull the hold-in arms 30 and the insulated holding wafers 35 riveted thereon as at 36 into the position shown in Fig. 2' with the spring portions X locked beneath the holding wafers 35.

When the relay is de-energized the relay spring 9, Fig. 3, will restore the armature l2 to the position of Fig. 3 elevating the operating wafer so that switch contacts IT and i8 are open; but contact portion 15X continues to be held down by the over-lying holding wafer 35, so that contacts l5 and is are closed and the switch is mechanically locked, it being noted in Fig. 3 that the wider operating slot 22 permits the upward or normalized movement of the armature and i the operating wafer 20.

In Fig. 4, a plurality of relays constituting a gang mounting are carried on base It], each with its own locking arm 30, and there is provided a common releasing bail 49 having opposite arms pivotally secured as at 4| on lugs of the base [0, which also mount the spring rod 33, a large spring 42 at the right of Fig. 4 normalizes the bail 40 in an anti-clockwise direction away from the upper ends of the locking or holding memb'ers 30.

A bracket 44, Fig. 1, secured to the base plate, mounts a solenoid trip coil 43, which has its plunger 46 pivotally connected to upper portion of the ball as at 41.

When the trip coil 45 is energized, as by closure of switch 41 in the indicated power circuit therefore, plunger 36 rocks the bail 40 clockwise against the upper ends of any or all of the holding members 30, so that the latter are likewise rocked in a clockwise direction to free any of the mechanical hold-in switch members 15X which may be locked under the corresponding holding portions 35.

Thus, in the operation of the device involving either one or a plurality of the novel relays, any

relay coil ll may be energized as by closure of a switch 8 in the indicated operating circuit therefore, thus causing armature l2 and the associated switch operated wafer 23 to bear down .on the several switch operated members l5 and I8. thereby actuating the relay switches, and these switches will remain in operated condition regardless of the mechanical hold-in means 3fl so long as the relay coils remain energized, although the mechanical hold-in is conditioned at once upon operation of any relay.

As soon-as any relay coil is de-energized one switch means il -l8 is released, but another switch'means l5l 6 becomes operated because position,

the switch operated part I5X is held beneath the holding means or wafer 35, and this particular switch means which is thusly held by the mechanical hold-in will continue in this condition until some agency, such as the trip coil means, 4546, moves the releasing bail 40 to lock the holding members 30 and release the switch members 15X.

Thus, the relay affords a three-way or threemulti-condition, sequence switching system, in which the switches can all be open when the relay is de-energized or non-operated, or some of the switches can be closed when the relay is energized, with certain switch means locked in a stand-by condition for further operation upon deenergization of the relay coil; and finally, some of the switches become opened while some become closed as a result of deenergizing the relay coil.

Such an arrangement becomes particularly valuable in sequence operations where, for ex ample, it is necessary to prepare a first circuit (e. g. No. 1) for a subsequent operating condition by first closing contacts I! and i8 (by a 1 first operation of the relay) and thereafter effecting a further operation in circuit No. 1 (and/or No. 2) as a result of deenergizing the relay.

Such a hold-in and contact arrangement reduces costs, for equipment, installation, and servicing, and conserves equipment space where analogous multi-condition or sequence operation is required.

It will also be apparent that contacts I?! and [5 may be arranged for non-sequence operation, as by omitting the downward bias on blade [8, so that the latter can close circuit with blade it when the relay first pulls in and looks.

I claim:

In a relay having an armature, and jack switches with contact springs projecting into operating slots in an armature member .such that when the armature is attracted, said contact springs are moved by marginal portions of the corresponding slots, improvements comprising the following, namely: the provision of at least one of said slots which is wider in the direction of switch-contact-spring motion than another said slot, a spring-urged catch for the contact spring in the wider slot acting automatically to hold the said spring in an operated condition responsive to movement of said armature in one direction, said armature being free to move in the opposite direction and carry any contact spring in a narrow slot with it while the contact spring in the wider slot is held bysaid catch, and means for moving said catch into non-holding position.

-2. The structure defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said catch comprises a lever spring-urged toward an end portion ofthe corresponding contact spring in the wider slot, and a catch member on said lever against which said contact spring bears in non-held condition, said catch member having a latching formation beneath which said end of the spring is lodged when moved into operated Condition by the'arrnature as aforesaid.

3. A hold-in relay comprising a rockable armature, a spring normally positioning said armature, a coil energizable to attract said armature, at least two jack spring switches mounted above said armature with their springs extendingtran'sversely of the rocking axis of the armature, an operating member carried on the armature up and down in the direction of fiexure of said springs, said operating member having two slot portions, one wider than the other in the direction of fiexure aforesaid, and into which, respectively, projects one of said contact springs of each said switch for movement to an operated position by pressure thereon of marginal portions of their respective slot portions responsive to movement of said armature irom normal to operated condition, an automatic latch coacting with the contact spring in the wider slot portion to hold said spring in operated position, said wider slot portion permitting said armature and operating member to return to normal position without moving the latched contact spring while moving the contact spring in the narrower slot portion, and trip means operable to actuate said latch to release said latched spring.

4. A relay structure in accordance with claim 3 and further characterized in that said latch is a. rockable member spring-urged toward said spring in the wider slot portion and provided with a catch formation pressing against the end of said last-mentioned spring and said catch formation having an edge portion beneath which spring catches when the latter is moved into operated position.

5. A relay structure in accordance With claim 4 and further characterized in that said trip means includes an electromagnetic trip coil and member moved thereby against said rockable latch member to urge the latter away from said end of the latched contact spring to free the latter for movement in said wider slot portion from 0perated to non-operated position.

6. In a relay of the class described, the combination with a rocking armature and jack switches closed by said armature in attracted condition, of a switch-operating member havin slots of different width in the direction of movement of said armature and each having ongaged therein a switch contact member moved by pressure of a margin of the corresponding slot on the corresponding contact member, and an automatically acting spring hold-in member coacting with the contact member in the wider slot to latch the corresponding contact member in operated condition responsive to movement of said armature into attracted condition, the wider slot corresponding to said latched contact member permitting movement of said switch-operating member and armature out of attracted condition without release of the latched contact member, and means for moving said hold-in member out of latching relation with the latched contact member.

'7. In a relay, at least two switches each including an operating blade disposed in a slot in an armature structure adapted to be rocked back and forth to actuate the switches, a. particular one of said slots being wider than the other in the direction of movement of both the particular blade therein and said armature structure, and

means for selectively locking and releasing said particular blade in its position of greatest displacement of the particular slot in said armature structure, whereby the latter, owing to the 5 width of said particular slot, is free to move to actuate the other switch notwithstanding that said other switch may be looked as aforesaid.

8. A relay having a rocking armature springurged into a normal, non-attracted position, and a plurality of switch blades projecting into slots in an armature member for operative movement by the latter, said slots extending in approximate parallelism to the rocking axis of the armature, at least one of said slots being wider than the other in the direction of armature and blade movement; said blades coacting in pairs, at least; the ends of at least one particular pair of said blades projecting through said wider slot, the blades of said particular pair being spring-biased away from each other toward the opposite margins of said wide slot such that the first blade of said pair tends to follow and engage the leading margin of said slot lying toward said armature in the direction of attracted movement thereof, while the second and companion blade is biased toward the opposite and trailing margin of said wide slot, said companion blade being moved by said trailing slot margin into an advanced position responsive to attracted movement of said armature, and said first blade following said leading slot margin, in such attracted movement of the armature, away from the com panion blade in open-circuit relation thereto; releasable latch means automatically operable to latch and hold said companion blade in said advanced position, said leading slot margin moving said first blade back into closed-circuit engagement with the held companion blade responsive to movement of the armature back toward said normal position, and means for releasing said latch means to free the held companion blade for movement out of held advanced position and into open-circuit condition relative to said first blade.

HERD/LAN L. SEIDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Dec. 29, 1932 Number to Number 

